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List Price: $24.99Amazon.com's Price: $21.99 You Save: $3.00 (12%)Prices subject to change.
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Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9780738927145
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
ISBN: 0738927147
Label: Shout Factory Theatr
Manufacturer: Shout Factory Theatr
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Shout Factory Theatr
Region Code: 1
Release Date: February 17, 2004
Running Time: 145 minutes
Sales Rank: 52061
Studio: Shout Factory Theatr
Theatrical Release Date: 2003
Editorial Review:
Description:
In the mini-series opener, Christopher Eccleston stars as Steve Baxter, a man who is found incoherent by the English roadside, mumbling that he's the Son of God. His old school friend, Judith (played by The Full Monty’s Leslie Sharp), thinks he’s gone mad.
Steve quickly discovers it's not easy to convince everyone that he's the Second Coming, and decides to stage a major event in a soccer stadium to gain the world’s notice. A miracle ensues, and he tells onlookers that mankind must write its own Third Testament or face Judgement Day in five days time. Pandemonium develops, inflamed by a full media-circus, as people try to understand what is happening. Excitement, fear, cynicism and violence erupt everywhere, as the drama speeds towards its surprisingly powerful conclusion.
• Written by Russell T. Davies, award-winning creator of the popular Showtime series Queer As Folk and Bob & Rose.
• Program first aired in the US on BBC America in October 2003.
• The ITV airing in Britain outdrew the TV debut of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and met with both critical acclaim and controversy.
• Stars Christopher Eccleston (The Others, Elizabeth, Cracker) and Lesley Sharp (Bob & Rose, The Full Monty.)
• Nominated for a mini-series award at the Monte Carlo TV Festival.
• DVD features director’s cut which includes additional 40 minutes of exclusive material.
• Presented in original widescreen format.
• Audio commentary by writer Russell T Davis and director Adrian Shergold.
Amazon.com:
Actor Christopher Eccleston (28 Days Later) is superb as a modern-day messiah in this captivating drama written by Russell T. Davies, author of the original British Queer as Folk series and the lovely Bob and Rose. Eccleston plays Steve Baxter, a mild-mannered, Manchester pub-crawler called one night to his true destiny as the second Son of God. After a couple of convincing miracles, the world looks to Steve for guidance, but he gives mixed signals: on one hand, he calls for a Third Testament to establish a foundation for living in the modern age; on the other, he predicts an imminent Judgment Day. The confusion causes mass mayhem, and Steve's disciples, especially an almost-but-not-quite love of his life (Lesley Sharp), try to make sense of the conflict while preventing devils, in human form, from undermining his mission. Ultimately, Davies's story concerns profound questions about human freedom and choice. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - I, for one, wish he'd never come back at all...
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
As I don't have a TV, and had never heard of this mini-series, I didn't know what to expect from The Second Coming and hired it purely on the strength of its plot synopsis, which sounded interesting.
Dear God! (Every pun intended.) If someone told me that this had been written by a class of thirteen year-olds who had been given the project of turning the second coming into a school play I wouldn't have been surprised.
Why, oh why, did they ... Read More
Rating:  - Good beginning, good acting but ultimately unsatisfying
As much as I wanted to love another piece starring Christopher Eccleston and directed by Russel T. Davies, I just couldn't get behind this one. Christopher Eccleston is great as ever, anchoring a movie about the second coming of Christ and his best friend Judith (note the rather obvious symbolism in that name) is a great actress as she portrays a woman trying to figure out her newly miraculous old friend.
However, once the plot gets going and Eccleston reveals himself to the world, there's ... Read More
Rating:  - Compelling Drama from Maverick Writer-Producer
This 2003 UK made-for-TV movie attempts to deconstruct Western sacred myth, plays around with established religious dogma, and hopefully shakes up people's worldview a bit. The Second Coming does fall flat here and there, but it (mostly) hits the high bar that it's set for itself. This is the kind of thought-provoking drama that US viewers have to import, as most American networks wouldn't touch the subject matter with the proverbial ten-foot pole.
Steve Baxter (Christopher Eccelston) is ... Read More
Rating: - Dark and disturbing look at the 'Death of God'
The Second Coming is a short telemovie written by the screenwriter Russell T. Davies, who is also the main screenwriter for the new series of Doctor Who.
The story begins when a young working class man, Stephen Baxter, dissapears mysteriously for a month, before he returns rambling about being the 'son of God.' At first everyone thinks he has completely lost his sanity, friends, family, and strangers alike. As the sincerity (though not the rationality) of his beliefs become apparent, his ... Read More
Rating: - acting good, plot falls apart
I found this to be first an interesting idea for a plot. Jesus Christ comes again as Steve Baxter. Perhaps the most interesting idea was the question on how to understand Steve as 'Son of God'. As in most contempary film, they emphasize his humanity.
It has a interesting but poor plot. In addition, it was over symplistic and disengenious to human experience.
However it did engage me, perhaps because I thought much of the story and the characterization of God/Steve Baxter had ... Read More
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